PORT ANGELES — When the MV Coho ferry docks in Port Angeles from Victoria at 4:30 p.m. today, a group of passengers will be greeted enthusiastically before they set off on a special bicycle trip.
A group of Port Angeles people who have a loved one with Parkinson’s disease or who support research to find a cure for the disease will gather at the Black Ball Ferry Line dock beginning at 4 p.m. to see off Alf Todd of Victoria and his 15 riders.
The Parky’s Peddlers, a group of 16 cyclists, will make the trip south on U.S. Highway 101 to San Francisco.
They are committed to supporting those who suffer from Parkinson’s disease — and one man who will be making his final ride.
Todd, 60, has ridden the coastal route from Port Angeles to San Francisco three times — in 1987, 2001 and 2007.
Parkinson’s diagnosis
Todd has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and this will be his final bicycle trip, said his daughter, Cindy Todd.
Most of those supporting him “are friends and family, but a few are people we don’t know at all,” she said.
Some of them are there for the ride, while others want to build support for Parkinson’s research, she said.
Members of the Port Angeles Parkinson’s Support Group who will be at the ferry building when the Peddlers arrive are inviting residents to show up at the ferry with big signs to welcome them to the U.S.
Cindy Todd said that as part of the Peddlers’ mission, they plan to stop at Parkinson’s treatment and support centers all along the route.
Each participant paid $1,000 to register for the ride, and any profits and additional contributions will be donated to Parkinson’s disease research.
Contributions
Contributions can be made at the group’s website, www.theparkyspeddlers.com.
Alf Todd’s children — Cindy and her brothers, Aaron and Adam — will ride with their father, while their mother, Patty, will drive a recreational vehicle, Cindy Todd said.
While Adam and Cindy will be making the trip for the second time, this will be Aaron’s third coast ride.
“Mom has never been on the trip before,” Cindy said.
Volunteers will drive two additional support vehicles packed with bicycle parts, supplies and camping equipment, she said.
After leaving Port Angeles, the group will ride to Lake Crescent, where they will camp for the night, she said.
The group expects to average 60 miles per day, staying in hotels during some legs of the trip and tents or the RV when necessary, she said.
They are scheduled to arrive in San Francisco on June 22.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
